Surface-treating machine



A.A.ICLARKE. SURFACE TREATING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 23. |1918` Patented Oct. 19, 1920.

. 2 SHlETS-'SHEETAIl W@ ffaAA/f/ A. A. CLARKE.

SURFACE TREATING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV-23,1918.

Patented oct. 19,1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALEX A. cLAEKE'oE DALLAS, TEXAS.

SURFACE-TREATING MACHINE.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, ALEX A. CLARKE, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Dallas, iii the county ,of Dallas and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in lSurface -Treating Machines, of which the following is a specilication.

This invention-relates to new and useful improvementsin surface treating machines. The purpose of the invention is to provide a continuously moving surface treating' and capable of adjustment so that the said member may be applied to surfaces having different degrees of curves.

Another 'feature of the invention contemplates ieservoirs'from which polishing materials maybe supplied tothe surface treating member and by it applied to the surface worked'on.

'In carrying out the invention a supportingifraine carries a surface treatin member and means for driving the same. he .frame is -mounted on adjustable working gaging elements which control the application of 'the surface treating member to the work, said surface treating member being disposed between the elements. The frame is-portable and is provided with handles sothat the operator may readily grasp the same and traverse the work. 'I he work adjusting elements are arranged to be adjusted in unison Vand one of the handles is connected with the adjusting means whereby the adjustment i Y may be carried out by simply manipulating the handle;

In this machine thesurface treating member assumes the form of a belt supported at one end on a drumand supported at the other end and driven by a revolving motor housing surrounding a fixed armature. Ad-

justable'means of a flexible nature engages the lower run of the belt, which is the surface treating run', for conforming the same to curved surfaces. Reservoirs are mounted in the frame over the upper run of the belt and provided with valves for supplying Specification of Letters Patent. Patent-ed Oct, 19, 1920 Application led November 23, 1918. Serial No. 263,812.

. polishing and other surface' treating mate- Ilal to the belt. i

The invention -will b e more readily understood from a reading of the following speciication and by reference to the accompanyrin, y

1g. 7 is a sectional detail of the locking means, and

' Fig. 8 is a detail of vt-he reservoir valve mechanism.

In the drawings the numeral l designates the top plate of a supporting frame disposed between end standards 2 having 'vertical sleeves at each side. mounted in each sleeve and has its upper end screw-threaded 'and passing through a sprocket wheel` 5. 'Each post hasakeyway -i'nthe sleeve 6 receivin a key 'mountedr whereby t e post is held ag listv rotation. A caster 'wheel 8 is journale at the bottom of each posti" i same on the surface which.

It ,will be vs'een vthat the'machiiieinay 'be easily moved on the wheels 8.

Each sprocket 5 is confined againstthe.

A vertical postv 4 is upper-end of its sleeve by an arm 1() projecting from a bracket l1 formed integral with the associated end standard and rising the standards and brackets are connected by cross plates 12 which are fastened on top of the plate 1. End plates 13 and 14 respectively depend from the ends ofthe plate l and are inclined outward, the standards being The frame also comprises side plates 15 having rigid connection with the top and end plates and depending below the same.v

shaped to be attached to the end plates.

A fixed-armature 16 has its shaft 17 sevcured incollars 18 at that end adjacent the plate 14. A cylindrical motor housing 19 surrounds and revolves on the armature 16,

ythese parts constituting the motor. At the opposite' end of the frame a transverse drum is mounted to revolve on a shaft 21 havl ing its ends fastened in collars 22. An endless belt 23 .is supported at one end by the drum 2O and passes around the housing 19 at the other end wherebyit is driven.

f This belt maybe made of any suitable,

- hinged arrangement a transverse bracket 25 is necessary and this bracket is located between the housing 19-and the drum 20. One end of the bracket is securely fastened to the integral side plate while the other` end supports a longitudinal bar 26 adjacent the in- 26, the hinged portion 27 having ner side of the hinged portion 27 of the otherplate. The collars 18v and 22 are supported -in the integral plate and in the'bar holes receiving the said collars. The hinged portion 27 is suitably engaged with the bracket.

25 and bar 26 and may be detached -and swung outward when desired.

Guides 28 dependvfrom the plate 1 over the bracket 25 and are spaced inward from the integral side plate 15; While similar guides 29 are fastened to the inner side of the other plate 15 and its hinged portion 27.

' A yoke 30 has depending bearing ringsat each 'end engaging in the guides'28 and 29.v

A belt'tightening roller 32 has ends supported on ball bearings-within the rings and bears transversely onjthe upper run of the belt 23. The yoke has a tubular shankv 33 extending up through thetop platel.

and into a cylindricalhousing 34. A' coiled spring 35 in the housing is seated in the tubufar shank and placed under tension by afollower 36 controlled by a thumb-screw 37 of the housing. By-

projecting. from the to adjusting the screw 3% thetension of the spring 35 maybe varied and thus the pressure of the roller 32 on the beltis'thus controlled and the slack taken out of the' belt. When it is desired to change the belts the screw .37 is adjusted torelieve the tension on the -roller 32 and the portion 27 released and swung outward so that the belt may `easily removed andreplaced. g

It will be seen that by extending theposts 4 or retracting the same the surface treating belt will Vbe moved from or toward the Y working surface. There are a pair of posts at eachie'nd of the frame and the belt is disposed intermediate the ends of". the frame.. In order that the lower run of the belt may be evenly adjusted with relation and extending under thesame.

to the working surface Vit is necessary tov adjust the posts in unison and therefore the sprockets 5 are traversed by a sprocket chain 38. This chain is driven by a sprocket 39 which in turn is driven by a spiral gear 40. The sprocket 39 is connected with the gear 40 by a vertical tubular shaft 41' mounted in a bracket 42 on the top plate 1. A slack adjuster 43 ismounted on the top plate and engages the sprocket chain. V

In the brackets 11 at the left hand end (Fig. 2) of the frame a transverse handle 44 is mounted to revolve. Thisfhandle pro- "l jects through one ofthe brackets and has fixed on its projecting enda spiral geai' 45 meshing with the gear 40. It is obvious that b y rotating the handle 44 the sprocket 39l is.rotate'd and the chain 38 thus propelled.. The chain' rotates the sprockets 5- which' owing to their screw-threaded engagement with the posts 4 yadjust the .latter longitudinally so that the frame is moved toward. or from the surface .being treated and` thus the application of the belt to the work is controlled. A slight movement of the handle 44 will adjust the partsv so thatl the belt will engage the working surface `to `a greater degree and either exert a polishing pressure thereon or cut into the surface according tothe kind-of belt-used. \If too much of the surface is removed or the presi sure is too great-the counter adjustmentis easily had by rotating the handle in the op- The4v workman does not posite direction. have to removethemachine from the -work duringthisadjustment.

It'is `obvious that some means for con-l formingth'e' lower run'of the belt to the working surface is desirable if high grade work is to be done as the intermediate portion of the belt would otherwise not be applied to the work withthe same pressure `as its-ends. I have provided a transverse metal late 46 bearing on the upper 'or inner si e of the lower run of the belt and 'extending from the drum 20 to" the housing 19. Y The bracket 25 carries a depending support 47 inclined toward the housing 19 i The plate 46 has one end bent up and fastened around the lower end of the support 47.

A segmental yoke'48 extends. across the fare of the drum 20 and has ears 49 pivoted on the shaft 21. The yoke has substantially Y the same radius as the' drum and is spaced sufficiently therefrom to give clearance.

Theopposite end of the plate 46 is bent aroundand Secured to the lower edge of the yoke." It is' appa-rent that the ends of the plate are held well under the drum 20 4and housing 19 so that said plate contacts with theV belt throughout nearly the entire length ofthe lower run of the latter. The plate 46 isy made ieXble andlit is obvious that by swinging theV 'yoke 48.` upward the f in the vnotches 56 andthevother to,ride onv plate will be bowed or sprung inward and thus inade to conform to a curved surface 11 and arranged opposite the handle 44. The handle projectsthrough one of; the brackets. On the-projectin end of the handle a cap 51 is threaded. an eccentric pin 52 pivoted to'one end of a link 53 which extends-down through the top plate to a pin 54y carried by one. of the ears 49.- By rotating the handle 50 the link is ralised'and lowered and the yoke 48 thus swung whereby the plate 46 is given the desired curvature.

It is desirable to lock the plate 46 in its adjusted position andtherefore a locking ring 55 is fixed in one of the brackets .l1 and receives the reduced 4end of the handle 50 which is confined by the cap 51. The locking ring has two rows of radial notches 56.in its inner surface. Thesel rows extend only part of the way around the ring. and the notches of 'one row are disposed in staggered 'relation to those of thev other row. Vithin the radius endk of -the handle a pair of spring pressed locking yplungers 57 .are mounted so as to project through the handlev and engage in the -`notches 56. The'plungers are parallel so that when one'engages infa notch of one row the ot-her plunger .will engage the ring between the notches. of the other row. The purpose of this st Ugered disposition of the notches is to a ord a minute adjustment. A button-58 is mounted radially in the handle 50 and carries a laterally extending pin 59 engagin inl slots 60 inthe plungers. As shown in ig. 5 the slots peimit'one of the plungers to engage the inner surface of the locking ring ,55; When it isl desired to rotate the handle 50 the button 58 must be pressed inward to withdraw the locking plunger and thus held while the handle is-rota'ted. When the button is released one of the plungers will spring into the first notch approached.v

In polishing surfaces it is often advantageous to use a polishing vmaterial on the belt 23, therefore between the guides 29 and `thel end plate 13 I mount a reservoir 61 under the top plate 1; while' between the end plate 14 and the uides 29 I mount a second reservoir 62. g ese reservoirs have their bottoms inclined to conform to the.

upper run of the belt and at the lower end of each reservoir a transverse discharge trough 63 is formed. At the bottom of each trough perforations 64 are provided, as is shown in detail in Fig. 8. A transverse valve-bar65 is disposed in each trough and normally covers the perforations 64 thereof; but is arranged to be rocked transversely to uncover the perforations and permit the his cap carries contents of' the reservoir to be discharged therethrough. Each reservoir has a fillingA v cap 66 on the top plate.

The means for operating each valve-bar i is substantially the same yand a description of one will suffice for both. An arm 67 is duced bearing end of the valve-bar 65 which projects through the side of the reservoir. The curved finger 68 of la lever 69 engages under the arm 67 on one side of the vvalvefastened intermediate its ends on the re-.

bar; while that portion of the arm on the other side of the valve-bar is attached to the end of a coiled spring 70 which has its upper end fastened to the reservoir. When the lever 69 is swung to operate the valvebar the finger 68 is swung upward whereby -the arm 67 is swung against the tension of of said reservoir'.

. What I claim, is:I j

1. In a surface treating machine, a wheeled supporting frame, a surface treating belt carried by the frame, means to 'drive the belt, a fiexible plate having one end se- .cured to the supporting frame and engaging the inner surface of the lower portion of the belt, an element pivoted to the frame 4and connected with one end of the plate, a

handle pivotedjupon the. frame,- a`n eccentric pin secured to the handle, anda link pivotally connected with the eccentric pin and the pivoted element.

2. In a surface treating machine, a supe porting frame, a surface treating belt, a drum' mountedtransversely ofthe frameand supporting one end of `the belt and driving ments supporting the frame at each end of the belt and Vcontrolling the application of means mounted on the frame for adjusting the work engaging elements 1n unison, .and

a surface conforming member engaging the belt'between the drum andthe motor housing, and means for varying the curvature of the surface conforming member.

3. In asurface treating machine, a sup- -the same,- adjustable vwork engaging eleporting frame, a surface treating'y belt, a

drum mounted transversely of the frame and supporting one end of the belt, a motor driven member supporting the other end of the belt anddriving the same, adjustable work engaging 'elements ,supporting the frame at each end of the belt .and controlling the application of the belt to the surthe 'belt to the surface to be worked upon, 115

, justing means.

-. by the frame, of a iiexible belt conformingv the plate engaging the inner side of the.

`face to be worked upon, means mounted on the frame for adjustingthe work engaging elements in common, and a pair of. handles connected with the frame, one of said handles ad-f having operative `connection with 4. In a surface treatingv machine, a'supporting structure, adjustable posts at. each end of the structure, an endless surface` treating belt mounted longitudinally ofthe frame' between the posts, means for driving the belt,means for adjusting the posts lonthe` plate engaging the inner side 'of thebelt along the run thereof which is applied to the work, a device for flexing the plate .from a plane to an arc, a rotatable handle mounted on the frame and having operative connection with the flexing device, and means for, locking the handle against rota- 6. In a surface treating machine, the combination with an adjustably supported frame, and a surface treating belt carried belt along the run thereof] which isapplied tothe work, a device l:for flexing the plate from a plane to an arc,` a rotatable handle mounted-on the frame and having operative connections with the flexing device,

. oted element.

'means for locking the handle against rotation, a second rotatable handle mounted on the frame, and having connection with the adjustable supports of the frame for operating the same. j Y

7. In a surface treating machine, a supporting frame, a surface treating belt carried by the" frame, means to drive the belt,-

a'exible plate engaging the inner sur# face of the lower portion of the belt, a sup?` porting element secured to the supportlng frame and attached to one end of the flexible plate,an element pivoted to the supporting frame'and connected with the opposite en of the flexible plate, a handle pivoted to the supporting frame `and having an eccentric pin, and a link pivoted with the eccentric pin and pivotally connected with the piv- 8. In a 'surface treating machine, a supporting frame, substantially vertical postsconnected with the supporting frame in a" manner to move vertically with relation thereto and being incapable of turning upon their longitudinal axes with relation to the supporting frame, said posts' extending 'j downwar n and serving to support the same and having their upper portions screw-threaded, sub- .stantially horizontal sprocketwheels having screw-threaded enga ement with the screwthreaded portions o the posts and serving to longitudinally adjust them, a single sprocket chain engaging said sprocket wheels, a pair of handles connected with the supporting frame near its ends,l one handle being rotatable, means operated by the rotatable handle to move the sprocket chain, and a movable surface treating member secured to the supporting frame.

In-testimony whereof I aiix 1n 'si nature ALEX A. ClLA KE.

below the supporting framel 

